Where Has Family Time Gone?

     

     Gone are the days that we all look after each other. Gone are the days when neighbors helped each other. Gone are the days when the young help the old and gone are the days when the children help and take care of their parents. In 2014 there were 15,640 nursing homes in the US. I’m sure this number has increased as the rate of elderly people that can’t live alone has increase and the families that take care of them at home have decreased.

     The world is getting so crazy and busy that nobody has time for one another anymore. We spend our time raising our children and once they are grown and have their own busy lives we barely see them. Sometimes their paths take them far away from us and sometimes they stay relatively close. It’s sad that we’ve become a nation that is too busy for family anymore.

     I remember summer trips to visit my grandmother or trips to the family reunion. Now that she’s gone we haven’t had a family reunion or even had family get-togethers. The only time we all get together anymore is at funerals. Funerals shouldn’t be the only time family gets together. I miss spending time with my cousins and the rest of my crazy family. My father and my uncle used to end up being the entertainment with their crazy antics. I don’t know what was funnier, my Dad’s antics or my uncle laughing at them.

How many of you still have family reunions?

How Handmade Businesses Are the New Trend

The business of handmade has started trending as people are starting to look for more value and longevity in the products they purchase. They are beginning to appreciate being able to purchase unique items instead of the mass produced that everyone seems to have. Consumers like to know that they have made a difference in a person’s life and made an eco-friendly choice.

The ease of access to handmade goods brought by the online platforms has helped this trend as in the past people were limited to fairs and markets that were in limited areas to shop for handmade. With the rise in internet access learning about and finding handmade goods is even easier. The trend is boosted by the need for consumers to connect with the makers. They want an authentic experience that is more prevalent in the handmade industry with the ability to get to know the makers and to know the story behind the business and the products.

We have also noticed a trend in eco-friendly products and upcycled finds as people are starting to take note of their impact on the planet. There has been a rise in shampoo bars because of the natural ingredients and lack of plastic packaging. The same is true for bars of soap as handmade soap is free of the harmful chemicals and soapers have upped the ante by making some of the most beautiful soaps on the market.

Home décor has taken on the rustic look often created by upcycling old barn wood and wooden pallets and often old antique windows. Artisans have found ways to upcycle just about anything and turn it into something awesome and unique. It’s no wonder that the farmhouse and shabby chic is trending here in the South as it emphasizes the values of the Southern women of today and yesterday.

Everyone wants their house to look and smell amazing, but people are becoming more conscious of what they use in their home. This has led to a trend in a more natural way of delivering wonderful fragrances to your home. People are looking to essential oils for making their homes smell good as well as cleaning them. There has also been an uptrend in soy candles and melts due to the cleaner burning. All-natural fabric sprays are replacing the popular brand sprays in an effort to reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals being used in our homes.

The bottom line is handmade products are experiencing a boost with the increased access from e-commerce sites that give artisans a platform, blogs that promote makers and handmade businesses and social media that makes it easy for handmade artists to connect with consumers. Another thing that has given a boost in handmade business is the ability to customize and personalize gifts.

Southern Wisdom, Sayings, and Quotes

     Living in the South has given me a plethora of ideas for décor, drinkware, and shirts. We have some of the funniest most off the wall sayings down here. Some of them make sense and some of them don’t. The ones that do make sense often have some wisdom hidden in there and the funny thing is once you hear them they stick with you. I have found these make great content for home décor signs, shirts, and drinkware. I’m sure there are plenty of other things I could incorporate these into, and I’m sure I will eventually, but for now, I’ll stick to these.

I have found that southern women, in general, can cut you down and make it sound so sweet and Southern mamas are direct and hold no bars when dealing with anyone especially their children. Some of my favorites are:

•   “Bless your heart” this one has a double meaning and you really have to listen to the tone in which it is said. This one is often stated to someone going through really hard times but it is also used when someone says something stupid or is talking about something they did that was stupid. It can also be used as a precursor to soften the blow.
• “He thinks the sun comes up just to hear him crow”. This one refers to a cocky rooster that thinks the sun rose because he crowed (I’m not sure how we know what a rooster thinks). Summarily, this refers to a man that think we want to hear the crap he is spewing.
•  “That’s about as useful as tits on a bull”. Tits on a bull are useless and bulls are ornery. This one is pretty self-explanatory but it means a comment, suggestion, or action is useless.

     Let’s talk about the sayings that are just of the wall or don’t make any sense whatsoever. One that has always cracked me up is “that dog don’t hunt” it means that something isn’t happening or that an excuse isn’t going to fly. It comes from the fact that we use hunting dogs a lot in the South and once they become older they don’t hunt. Now I don’t know how someone made a connection between an old hunting dog and something not happening, but it stuck. So, if someone says that dog won’t hunt to you, you might as well forget about it because stubbornness is also a Southern trait and you won’t change their mind.

Some others you might hear are:

·         "She's as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine" how can a dead pig be happy you ask? Well, after researching this I have discovered that when a pig dies outside in the sun there is a drying effect on the skin that pulls the pig's lips back making it look like it’s grinning. If this phrase is used about someone it generally means they are blissfully ignorant of reality.

·         “I’m finer than frog's hair split four ways”. This is usually an answer to the question of how you are doing. Even the explanation I found doesn’t clear this one up since frogs don’t have hair.

·         “You look rode hard and put away wet”. Now I’m sure the dirty minds have gone somewhere else with this, but this came about from racing horses. When they have been run they sweat and even more so under a saddle. Most good groomsmen will walk a horse to let it cool down and dry after a hard run. If they aren’t walked and groomed properly they tend to look rough. So this phrase describes someone that is exhausted or drinks too much.

     If you find yourself in the South, live in the South, or encounter someone from the South you are sure to hear some of these or other Southern phrases.

     Share some that you have heard in the comments below.